Nobley Does It
by NickyNackyNoo
Summary: ***Small update to the end of the chapter which I hope you like*** Continuing on immediately from the end of the film, this is how I envision things proceeding for Jane and Henry. More to come so please R&R Thanks
1. Chapter 1

"You know, you might want to close the door before this goes any further."

Henry and Jane broke apart guiltily and stood like a couple of recalcitrant teenagers caught in the act. Jane's best friend Molly stood in the open doorway, arms folded and an incredulous look on her face.

Jane gave an embarrassed chuckle "Oh my God, Molly, you gave me a fright. I, er, didn't realise the door was still open." She inched closer to Henry and he reached out and took her hand, giving her fingers a brief squeeze in support.

"Obviously." Molly raised an eyebrow in question and nodded towards Henry.

"Sorry, Molly, this is Henry. Henry, this is my best friend Molly. I'd completely forgotten she was coming over." Molly harrumphed "No kidding".

"Molly. It's a pleasure to meet you." Under normal circumstances he would have reached to shake her hand but he had no wish to release Jane and break their newly formed and tenuous bond, Jane herself however, moved to embrace Molly in a warm hug and Henry felt irrationally bereft at her defection.

"It's so good to see you, I've got so much to tell you. Shall we have some tea?" She smiled at them both and went to move towards the kitchen.

"Sorry Henry, can you give us a minute?" Without waiting for a reply Molly grabbed Jane's hand and dragged her off into the bedroom closing the door firmly behind them.

"Of course." Henry said to the now empty room. He closed the front door and stood uncomfortably for a few moments. "I'll um make the tea then. Right."

He poured the boiled water into the pot and tried to pretend he couldn't hear every word that was being said in the bedroom "Jane, what the hell is going on?! Have you completely lost your mind? What the hell are you thinking bringing this guy back with you? This trip was supposed to get rid of all of …..this!" Molly waved a hand around the bedroom, noticing suddenly that the room had been emptied of its Regency paraphernalia and Darcy memorabilia. "Wow you actually did it." she shook her head "Never mind. Spill right now!"

"Molly, please, it isn't what you think." Jane sat down on the bed and put her fingers to her lips, she could still feel Henry's kiss, feel his hands roaming over her body. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to steady herself. Henry had only arrived a few minutes before Molly and Jane hadn't had time to get her own head around things never mind trying to explain it to somebody else. "It's…..complicated."

"Was he one of the actors? He was wasn't he?"

"Well yes and no…he's not an actor. He was just doing it as a favour, his Aunt runs the place, he was just helping her out."

"Oh please, I can't believe you're falling for this crap Jane, it was a fantasy and he's stringing it out in the hope of God knows what. "

Henry had heard enough. He had risked everything coming here, taken a chance and leaped into the unknown because he knew, was certain, that this was meant to be. Damned if he was going to allow this woman, no matter how well-meaning her intentions , to undo the small victory he had at last achieved a few minutes ago. He moved towards the bedroom and was about to knock and politely advise them that he could hear every word when Jane spoke.

"Molly, stop. You don't know him." She held up a hand as Molly opened her mouth to interrupt "Don't. I know what you think, it's what I thought too before I left. That the feelings weren't real, it was all part of the story, the fantasy. But he isn't an actor and I didn't bring him back with me. He followed me, he came half way around the world to give me back my sketchbook and ask for a chance to make me happy." Jane's breath caught in her throat as what he had actually done began to sink in. She looked, teary eyed, at Molly, and almost in a whisper "He said I was his fantasy."

"Oh Jane….." Molly sat down next to her on the bed and pulled her into a tight hug. "Honey.."

"Molly please, I promise I will tell you everything , every humiliating, excruciating detail, if you'll just give him a chance? He really is…..wonderful." Henry closed his eyes and rested his forehead silently against the door in relief.

He knocked softly. "Jane? I've made some tea. Also, I think I should mention that your walls are perhaps not quite as sound proof as you might have thought." Molly groaned and Jane giggled.

"Come on Molly," she tugged her friend up and opened the door "It's time to meet my Mr Nobley.

Henry stood back as the door opened "Tea ladies?" his gaze found Jane's and he smiled shyly while inside his heart soared, she thought he was wonderful.

Henry and Jane sat on the sofa and Molly took the armchair, "So Henry, tell me about yourself."

"Ah, well…..my name is Henry Nobley. I'm a history professor at Oxford, I'm 36 and unmarried." He took a sip of tea "I've never worked at the park before, I was press ganged into helping my aunt who found herself short a gentleman and needed someone quickly who understood the era. Regency England is my particular area of expertise you see."

"Uh huh. Tell me something Henry, what kind of man drops everything to chase a virtual stranger half way around the world?"

"Molly!" Jane said sharply.

"No it's alright Jane, it's a fair question." He put down his cup and clasped his hands together looking earnestly at Molly "I imagine such a man would be so desperately in love that nothing else mattered, not logic or reason. Such a man would be determined not to let his chance of happiness slip through his fingers a second time." His voice was soft and filled with emotion. He turned and smiled tenderly at Jane "I do know her. I may not be aware of all the details of her life but I know _her,_" He took Jane's hand and kissed her palm as he had before "and I'm completely mad about her."

Molly watched them gazing lovingly at each other and was 99% convinced he was on the level, she hoped so for Jane's sake, but she was still going to Google him when she got home.

"Well OK then. I guess that's my cue to leave." She stood and headed for the door "Jane I'll call you later. _Be careful_" She whispered "Henry it has been…eventful meeting you, I'm sure I'll see you again."

"I hope so. Bye".

Jane leaned back against the closed door "Well, that wasn't at all embarrassing."

"It wasn't so bad, she was just worried" said Henry "I did think she was going to try and decapitate me like poor old Colin over there at first however."

Jane burst out laughing "I guess you're right, I would have turned into a Ninja and kicked her ass though if she had tried to cut off your head." Jane picked up the tea cups and placed them in the sink, running the water to wash up. Henry took off his jacket, hanging it by the door, and came to stand beside her.

"Would you?" he said, leaning against the counter "You would have taken her down for me?"

Jane snorted "Only if she was trying to take off your head, she's pretty fierce, and very pregnant!" she gave him a towel " You dry."

Henry inclined his head to her "Certainly, anything for a lady, after all, I am rather wonderful."

Jane groaned and put her face in her hands, "I can't believe you heard that!" she shook her head in embarrassment and Henry laughed. He pulled her hands away wiping bubbles from her face. "Jane, you have no idea how happy hearing those words made me." He leaned forward and kissed her gently "I think you are wonderful too." He kissed her again more deeply and Jane sighed

"Henry I…..this is going so fast, I'm not, I mean I don't normally_ do…" _she flapped her hands indicating the two of them.

"I understand, I don't normally _do_….this either. Call me old fashioned, but I don't believe in meaningless dalliance." He touched her face "Shall I woo you? "

"Woo me?" Henry raised her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers bowing his head slightly over them "I shall court you like a real gentleman. We can get to know each other properly without all of the tom foolery."

"That sounds….. wonderful, but just to clarify; will this old fashioned courtship allow touching?" she laced her fingers with his "Touching will definitely be allowed" he said earnestly.

"How about kissing?" Jane asked as she leaned up towards him. Henry smiled "Oh yes, lots and lots of kissing." Smiling he lowered his lips to hers and they kissed until they were breathless.

Jane leaned back in his embrace breathing heavily she asked "Henry, what happens next?"

"Well, I'm a little out of practice but I'm fairly sure it involves taking off all of our clothes and retreating to your bedroom." He laughed as she pushed against him slapping at his chest

"Henry! That's not what I meant and you know it!"

"Sorry, couldn't help myself." He grinned

"You're incorrigible!" with a final whack she ceased her struggles and laced her fingers together behind his head idly toying with the curling hair at his neck. "What are we going to do though? We live on different continents."

Henry sighed and placed his forehead against hers "We will do whatever it takes Jane, but not today. We can worry about it tomorrow, today I just want to be happy and in love."

"OK." Said Jane nodding, "I think I can manage that."

"Good." He said giving her one final hard swift kiss. "Now Miss Heyes, can I take you to lunch? I'm starving."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was such a beautiful day they decided to picnic in the park rather than having lunch in a crowded restaurant or café. Jane packed a bag with cheese, apples, a bottle of wine and some paper cups to drink from and grabbed a picnic blanket from her closet. Then they walked hand in hand down the street to a local deli where they bought huge delicious looking sandwiches. They found a shady spot overlooking the lake and settled down for their impromptu lunch.

"This is so nice." Jane said leaning back against the tree next to Henry.

"It is," said Henry "and at least this time we don't have George East salivating all over you."

Jane laughed "He was not, he was being charming."

"Charming? Really? The man was wholly inappropriate kissing you like that and whipping off his shirt at the drop of a hat." he frowned.

Jane studied his face for a moment "Henry, were you jealous?" she asked incredulously "Did you knock him over on purpose that day?"

Henry looked out across the lake avoiding Jane's gaze "I was perhaps the tiniest bit jealous, but he thoroughly deserved being knocked on his arse, he was a complete oaf."

"So….you liked me even then? I thought you couldn't stand me."

Henry finally looked at her again "My dearest Jane, I liked you from the moment you gave me that set down at our first dinner, I just didn't know how to show it. I had never been one of my Aunt's gentlemen before, it was all very disconcerting. I was being me, admittedly a slighter stiffer version," he smiled "but I wasn't sure if you were being you. And then there was Martin. I didn't think I stood a chance." He sat in thoughtful silence for a moment "Obviously when I saw your sketchbook and realised you were completely obsessed with me it gave me some hope."

"I was not obsessed with you! You were just the most…aloof. And irritating." she bumped him genially "Every time you spoke to me you seemed so cross."

He groaned "Not cross with you, with myself. Nothing I did seemed to go as planned, I acted like a complete idiot."

"Not a _complete_ idiot."

"Thank you." Henry gave her a mock bow "It is good to know your opinion of me has improved from our first meeting."

"Oh it has most definitely improved." They smiled at one another again and Jane thought how different he seemed, how relaxed and happy compared to how he was in Austenland.

Henry yawned, it had been a marvellous afternoon but his hunger now satisfied, jet lag was starting to kick in and he felt exhausted.

"Tired?" asked Jane sympathetically.

"I'm sorry Jane, I should have expected it really, I was too anxious to sleep on the flight."

"What do you want to do then? Go to your hotel?"

Henry pondered his options, he needed to sleep but really didn't want to be without her. "Would you come with me?"

"Ummm…."

"We could stop by your apartment, drop off these things and you could pick up a change of clothes, that way I'll be able to sleep then shower and change and we could have a late dinner in the hotel restaurant. What do you think?" He beamed with so much enthusiasm Jane couldn't bear to refuse him.

"OK fine, but I'm watching pay per view and if you snore I will smother you." She laughed as Henry bounded up and began packing away the remains of their picnic. He held out his hand to her "Come on then before I fall asleep where I stand." He pulled her to her feet "And I do not snore." He said sternly.


End file.
